Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1887-06-23
MAKING CALLS IN MEXICO.
Politeness Enat Becomes Very Tiresome-
Compliments Which Sound Well but
Mean Little.


tie MeXicans is sometimes but Il short
remove from the ridiculous, writes a
correspondent of the Philadelphia Rec
ord. and though their manners are
kindness personified it frequently
strikes US that Spanish compliments
are as tlresOme as absurd. For exam
pie, in making social visit: When
ladies appear at the door of the SaIG de
recabe (reception-room) -having been
admitted thus far by the porter who
sits at the gate of the casa-the hostess
runs to receive them as fast as her
high heels will allow. Mexican ladies
have an air of great dignity and per-
feet repose of features when they sit,
and are seen to best advantage in their
carriages or theater boxes or on their
sofas at home. On foot, however. they
simply wobble, and when in haste their
ungracefulness of gait is of course in
tensified. This is no doubt largely due
to the fact that they wear heels alb
surdiy high, placed almost in the Gen.
ter of the foot, and always insist upon
wearing shoe at least IN inch too
short for the foot.
She embraces each of her visitors in
turn, after a curious fashion that took
us long TO learn-not by an Americans
kiss, or a French womanS hearty hug;
but each of the embracers (if one may
be allowed to coin a word for the occa-
sion) puts her right hand upon the
others shoulder, her left hand near
the others heart, and leaning forward
on her toes just lays her cheek for an
instant alongside the others neck. 1t
looks cordial, to say the least of it, but
beginners are sure to make bad work
at first, bobbing their heads to the
wrong side and humping one another's
nose.
After this ceremony has been strict
" attended to all around-for neglect
ing to embrace one of the callers
would be equivalent to giving her the
worst kind of ''cut direct mis-
tress of the manse leads the way across
the s0la to the square of carpet at the
farther end, which is always bounded
on three sides by the sofa against the
wall and two rows of chairs planted
UiS-d-Uis. But before sitting down an
other ceremony must be gone through
with dc rigweur. Says the hostess:
''Pray be seated, ladies"
Seat yourself, sonora, is the re-
spouse.
No, no; possa T." she replies; and
so they keep it up indefinitely until it
begins to look as though they never
would sit down. Finally the deadlock
is broken by the eldest or most conse-
quential member of the party, who,
with an air of dignifed humility, re-
marks: ''V0ya! Well, to oblige you,
without further ceremony; / dislike
compliments.
The lady who is considered of most
consequence, either by reason of AGE
or social position, is invariably seated
on the right-hand corner of the sofa
a point in etiquette of great import
ance-and the mistress of the casa on
the farthest chair. Then the following
dialogue. takes place, with never the
slightest variation:
How is your health, senorita9 Are
YOU well?"
AT your service. senorita; and Your
self?"
''Sin noccdad (without novelty; at
your service
4 am rejoiced. And you. how are
you, senorita?"
AT your disposal; and YOURSELF"
NIL gracjas Ga thousand thanks) at
Your service"
After the entire round has been made
of these polite inquiries and replies they
begin over again:
'FAnd the senior, your husband, how
is hep"
NIL gr0ciaS; at your disposal; with
out novelty;" ETC., through the gamut
of all their relatives, from the grand
mothers down to the babies. This
takes some time, and if early in the
morning there is the additional ques-
zion, which must be put to everyone
whom you meet before mid day:
''CO1ao passe r la moche?" (How did
you pass the nightly to be invariably
answered whether well or i'll, by the oft
repeated: "a thousand thanks; at
your service; and yourself?"
All these empty compliments are
merely tokens of good will, without
serious meaning in them, and, in fact,
there is little real etiquette here, but
the most perfect ldisSez GEler in the
world. AS everywhere else, even in
Mexico, where the temperature scarce
ly varies 10 degrees in course of year,
the weather affords legitimate topic
of conversation. The slightest change
in the degree of heat or cold opens the
battery, and the occasional surprise of
dull skies or sign of rain is a perfect
bonanza in that direction.
The visit over, the ladies re-embrace
ali around, the lady of the house fol-
lows her guests to the outer door, and
again thousand compliments are
given and returned. Each refuses to
''passe T." ahead of the others, and af-
ter several minutes the friendly strife
is at last ended, as before, by the old
est lady, who says: ''VaUG, to oblige
you"
Once outside they turn again, and
each remarks to the hostess: ''Senora.
you know that my poor house and al
in it are at your disposal"
MI gracias. sonora" she replies,
land mine is at yours, and, though
useless, know me for your servant
and command me in anything you may
desire"
''Adios, sonora, hope you may pass